


Mermech secrets

by thepheonixqueen



Series: Mermech Tales [1]
Category: Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, M/M, mermaid
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-10
Updated: 2014-07-10
Packaged: 2018-02-08 06:42:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 19,977
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1930581
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thepheonixqueen/pseuds/thepheonixqueen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mermech Orion has no desire to mate with the mermech king and flees to a secret cave. Fate however sets on the path to love and adventure!<br/>Warning: dubious consent/threat of non-con, adult content, anatomy comparison, one sex scene and heavy petting.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Mermech secrets

                        **Mermech Secrets**

 

Long ago, when Cybertron was being formed, the great creator Primus brought forth his creations upon his surface. He created many frame types as well as creating mechs and femmes of each. His people covered the surface of his transformed frame and, unbeknownst to all but a rare few mechs, his people also filled his solvent seas in the form of graceful and lovely mermechs and femmes.

Since Primus had created them, the mermechs had been ruled by the great Mermech Beluga Longfin. Beluga had been their only king and was the oldest and wisest of all the mermechs as well as having very long and graceful whiskers like one of the most ancient of turbofish.

Being the King Mermech had many perks, such as a lavish palace built amongst the underground caves that Primus had created to keep them safe. Beluga was best known for one of the perks: he had amassed a vast harem of the loveliest and most handsome of all the mermech egg-carriers. There were few drawbacks; the mermechs had no wars, only a few fights each mating season when new egg-carriers became fertile for the first times, and only a few laws that needed to be enforced.

The greatest and most important law of all was that mermechs were never, ever to show themselves or speak to a land mech or femme. The punishment was left up to the King to decide but it had never been anything less than terrible. The law had been created back when the monstrous organic slavers had defiled Primus’ frame with their presence and had never been repealed.

Now deep within the Solvent sea near the Palace of the mermech king lived a lovely young mermech known as Orion. Orion was a true beauty, with a broad chest with clear glass, resembling a sturdy truckbot of the land, which led to a narrow, tiny waist where his long lithe deep blue and silver tail began. Orion was not yet mature and still lived with his papas in their home by the drop off.

Orion was a dutiful and devout little mermech: he often left gifts on the altars in Primus' temple and the altar would glow for him every time. Orion loved serving Primus and sometimes wished to become a priest or a monk so he could serve Primus always. Unfortunately his devotion to Primus had brought unwanted attention to himself, in the form of King Beluga himself demanding Orion join his harem when Orion became mature.

Orion had no desire to join the king's harem! He wanted a family of his own with a loving bonded and many sparklings. He knew that the Kings consorts were rarely allowed to raise their sparklings, if they had any. King Beluga would often not visit his harem of consorts when it was mating season but visited every sol when it was not the season to fertilize eggs.

King Beluga was very odd like that.

However, there was another reason Orion didn't want to join the king's harem: Orion loved the crystals that grew on the land. He had found a secluded bit of land and created his own garden in it. He grew dozens of different crystals but knew he would be forbidden to go near the land or the surface if he was a royal consort.

So Orion was very careful when he went to work on his garden.

 

oOoOoOoOoOo 

 

Orion peeked around a large rock cautiously, looking about to ensure no one was around. Once he was sure the coast was clear, he darted swiftly towards a small cave. This cave was his greatest secret, for it had a small passageway which led to the surface where it ended in a wide shallow pool. As soon as he was in the cave Orion swam to the passageway and up to the pool on the surface.

Orion carefully surfaced and did a quick look before diving back down into the solvents. He then gingerly eased back above the solvents to take a more thorough look to be sure no landmechs were around. Once he was satisfied that he was alone, Orion moved to one of the edges of the pool where there was a shallow lip he could pull himself over and onto the ground.

Orion looked around the secluded garden and admired how beautiful the crystals he had tended had grown. When he had found this place several vorns ago, it had been a mess: the slow growing crystals had been overtaken by the faster growing ones and Orion had barely been able to save several of the smaller and slowest growing ones. He was glad he had, the lovely orange and golden crystals were so beautiful and growing so well now.

Orion began to drag himself around the garden, following the clear paths he had made over the vorns that were free of small debris and shards that may have broken off the crystals. When he had first begun coming here, the ground had been covered in things that were sharp and his tail had gotten so torn up and damaged as he had dragged himself around gazing in wonder on the crystals which were so different from the tiny bits of crystal-coral which were found beneath the solvents.

Orion soon reached a patch of fast growing crystals and saw it was beginning to overgrow its borders once again. Orion liked having to tend to these crystals when this happened, and began to snap the overgrown parts off so the crystals stayed at the right size. Orion pulled out at storage basket he had woven from his subspace and began to place the trimmings in it, while occasionally nibbling on a bit now and then. The faster growing crystals tended to be very sweet and Orion loved to eat them because they were so delicious. 

Orion had eaten so much of them when he was clearing and cleaning the garden that his papas had threatened to take him to a medic after his armor started bulging a bit too much. His papas had even asked if he had seeing some mech and gotten egg-heavy. As if Orion would do such a thing without a bonding!

Once that patch was done he moved on, clearing and tidying up his garden and putting the crystal shards he had broken off in the basket. He liked to give the best of them to Primus on his altar and he thought Primus liked them as well since the altar glowed much brighter when he offered the crystals than for anything else.

Orion soon reached the edge of the garden he had cleared, and looked at the mess of overgrown crystals and the many strange shapes that had been covered by the crystals that grew the fastest. He had found metal benchs under the crystals as he had cleared his part of the garden and he was curious about what lay within the much larger shapes. Orion had been clearing a path to a large shape in what looked to be the very center of the original garden and he was almost there. He only had a little farther to go and he could uncover the shape to see what it was.

Orion began to carefully drag himself down his new path, being sure to watch for any shards or debris he might have missed that would harm his tail. Soon he reached where the path ended and began to clear away the last few lengths to the mysterious shape. Orion was careful to put the broken shards and debris from this part into a different basket since there could be crystal that had gotten sick or rusted and he didn't want to eat or worse give Primus bad crystals.

Finally Orion reached the shrouded shape and began to remove the crystals as gently as he could so he wouldn't damage whatever lay underneath. Little by little the unknown shape began to take form, revealing a lustrous and intricately carved crystal and Orion felt his spark freeze when one corner was exposed. He gently drew a slightly trembling servo over the inscribed glyphs and knew his suspicion was correct. Orion began to work at a rapid pace uncovering more and more until at last, he was done.

There before him lay the most beautiful altar to Primus he had ever seen.

He had never seen a crystal like the one it was made from, it was a deep perfect spark-blue and seemed to be glowing with a faint ethereal light. There were a set of small steps before the altar, perhaps meant for land-mech sparklings to make their offerings, and one side of the steps had been smoothed in a ramp with a nice ledge that Orion found he could sit on and reach the top of the altar. Orion pulled out his basket of good crystals and picked out several pieces of best crystals and then drew from his subspace the tiny shards he had broken from the gold and orange crystals and laid them upon the altar. Orion bowed his helm and prayed, "Primus, thank you for revealing this altar to me! Please Primus, let this be a sign that I don't have to join the King's harem. I want to stay here in my garden and give you offerings. Please, let this be true Primus, please!"

Once Orion finished praying, the altar glowed with a blinding flash and the crystals disappeared. Orion smiled in pleasure that Primus had approved of his offering and then eased back down the ramp to the ground. He looked at the other hidden shapes and tried to decide which one to work towards next. Suddenly he noticed how late it had gotten in the sol. As quickly as he could, he dragged himself back to the pool and plunged into the solvents and swam back down into the cave.

Orion peeked around the entrance of the cave to see if anyone was about and then quickly swam for his home, knowing his papas worried about him if he got home too late. He had nearly reached the caves his papas and he lived in when a larger mermech swam in front of him and forced him to stop.

 "My, you look radiant this sol Orion! You're becoming even more lovely than before."

 Orion looked to the side, hating how the mermech looked at him, "It is kind of you to say that King Beluga Longfin."

 The King swam closer to Orion and swam a small circle around him appraisingly.

 "Please, Orion, you will be one of my harem soon, you may call me Beluga or Master if that  is your desire.. You are indeed a vision of beauty, I long for the day you mature and come to my harem."

 Orion tried to edge away, wishing the King would let him be. He did not desire the King at all.

 "Please King Beluga, I must return home. My papas will worry."

 King Beluga moved closer once again and to Orion's shock, boldly dared to drag his fin along Orion's.

 "We must not worry your papas little one. Swim on home. I will be seeing you soon."

Orion gave a slight bow and then darted away as fast as he could, feeling dirty and disgusted that the king had dared to touch him so intimately. He prayed again to Primus, "Please Primus, don't let me end up with him!"

 

 oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

 

Ultra Magnus sighed, he had thought that when the war with the Decepticons had ended and the treaty was in place that he might be able to relax more. It turned out he was wrong. Not a sol went by when he wasn't being called upon by the council or the military or even the sciencebots.

Of course having both sides trying to integrate may have had something to do with it. Half the problems he was being called upon to deal with were inter-factional squabbles that neither side seemed able to compromise on. It became very tedious, very fast. The one consolation he had was that he knew Megatron was going through the same thing he was, as well as having to deal with a broody seeker since Starscream had apparently sparked the sol they had finally bonded.

Ultra laughed to himself remembering how Megatron had gone running from the council chamber in a panic when Hook had commed to inform him that Starscream was laying his eggs.

Ultra then sighed again, he would love to have what Megatron did- a family. He wanted a loving bonded he could give his spark to and sparklings for him to spoil rusty. The vast halls of the Magnus Manor had become too quiet and echoing, it remained a house but Ultra knew he wanted it to be a warm and loving home.

The council really wasn't helping either. Ever since Starscream and Megatron announced that Starscream was egg-heavy, the council had begun pushing Ultra to take a mate and produce an heir. They kept sending mechs and femmes to him, trying to get him to pick /their// chosen mech or femme to try to influence his decisions and judgements. Or worse since the council had begun their campaign to find the Magnus a mate, mechs and femmes who cared only that Ultra was wealthy or powerful and cared only about his title had come from everywhere. One audacious mech had even stated that he would only be having one sparkling if they absolutely must since he wanted to keep his trim figure. Finally fed up with dealing with all the opportunistic mechs and femmes, he declared that he would consult Primus and would only accept a Primus-given mate.

/That// had shut the council up, since not even they would dare go against the very will of Primus himself.

So Ultra had been blessedly not been harassed by amorous mechs and femmes since then, leaving him free to enjoy what little personal time he had. He was almost finished with his next book he had been writing, for one thing. And he was finally getting a chance to enjoy the crystal gardens around the manor. He was slowly working his way through every garden and had been shocked by how much some of the gardens had fallen into disarray. He had had to hire several new gardeners since no one had realized that the wild areas around the manor were in fact overgrown gardens.

Perceptor was enjoying examining some the unusual specimens that Ultra had found and had requested to be able to come and search the gardens for more. /Seven// different kinds of crystals that had been thought to be extinct had been discovered and were apparently thriving in swaths across the garden grounds. Many exotic and rare species were found as well, even Floating Vosian crystals and Singing Praxian crystals were thriving and filling the gardens with their luminous beauty and enchanting music.

Setting his datapad down, Ultra rose from his desk and left his office. He waved at Cliffjumper, who was on the com arguing again that he would not go and be Shockwave's secretary for any salary, and headed out the door. Hopefully he could make it out of the building without anyone trying to stop him to do 'just one more thing'. Just one more things tended to take megacycles or even sols at times to properly resolve.

Finally exiting the building unmolested, Ultra folded down as he transformed and headed to the main Primus temple. Perhaps this time Primus would answer him with more than "Soon." As soon as he entered the temple, he knew something was different. Primus' energy was pulling him towards the private inner sanctum reserved for the Magnuses. Heading to the sealed door beside the altar, Ultra began to descend the winding stairs that led to the private altar only Primus' chosen Magnuses and their mates had ever used or even seen. Ultra's optics went to the niche in the wall, piled with metalmeshes and heating blankets, where Magnuses traditionally spent their bonding darkcycle and felt a pang in his spark as he wondered if he would ever bring a beloved mech here.

A cable emerged from the ground and wrapped around Ultra's shoulders in a hug, Primus' love pulsed through him before he was guided to the altar. Ultra got on top of the altar and lay there supine as he closed his optics to be more receptive to Primus' will.

Ultra relaxed and Primus began to show him an image: it showed a garden, half was beautiful and half overgrown and in disarray. In the middle was a large altar to Primus, the like of which he had never seen before. Beyond the garden was a cliff overlooking the solvent sea and in the other direction lay a garden he could just barely see from the Manor. The image began to fade until all that remained was the face of a young mech, a mech with sinful looking lips and beautiful optics. Ultra felt his spark pulse at the sight of the face, followed by a muffled thud from his interface panel.

Ultra opened his optics once the image was completely gone and slid from the altar. He knelt beside the altar and placed on top of it a cube of ultra-refined aged white energon and prayed his thanks to Primus. Once he finished, he rose and headed up the stairs to the main temple eager to head to the Manor and begin searching for the mech as well as the garden. Primus would lead him there, he knew it.

 

oOoOoOoOoOo

 

Orion eased open the woven hanging that covered the entrance to his home, he looked around for any sign of the King. King Beluga had been coming around more and more often and Orion was becoming very unhappy about it. The king was becoming more aggressive as mating season drew nearer. The last time King Beluga had come by, he tried to forcibly drive Orion towards his palace and only his Papa Steelbolt’s intervention had been able to save Orion.

Seeing no sign of the lustful King, Orion made a dash away from his home and took a convoluted route to his secret cave. He had told his papas he would be gone for a several sols and had brought enough food to last almost a decacycle. He was going to work on his garden in peace until the King returned to his senses and the other mermechs would stop following him around and being crazy.

Making sure no one was following him once again, Orion darted into the cave and up into the pool on the surface. Orion checked the surface to see if the coast was clear, and stopped to put his special baskets on the bottom of the pool so the beta-urchins and techno-clams would stay alive and fresh for him to eat later. Once he was done, Orion swam to the side of the pool and dragged himself out onto the ground. He looked around his garden and was pleased with all he had accomplished in the last few metacycles.

After he had revealed the altar to Primus, he had begun clearing the other half of the garden and found many wondrous things. First he had found another pool, one that was deeper than the one that led to the solvent sea, this one filled with ancient turbofish with long trailing whiskers that had stared at Orion once he had removed the crystals that were slowly bridging across the solvents.

Next he had uncovered a small fountain built into the wall that enclosed his garden, the fountain had a carving of a small landmech sparkling with an odd square cube that was spilling out solvents that then flowed along a channel to the turbofish pool.

His next discovery was his favorite, across from the solvent fountain he found a niche in the wall that led to a small enclosed space that was filled with several huge red crystals that had been carved into niches for bots to lay in. The crystals made Orion feel very warm and comfortable and he often took short naps there until he had to go back to his solvents when he got too dried out.

His latest discovery was nowhere near as good as the red crystal grotto, in fact Orion was very puzzled by it. It was another small fountain built into the wall that was carved to look like a mermech with a jar and flowing from the jar was a strange pink fluid that wasn't solvents and tasted very bland to Orion.

Now he was working his way into the middle of the last half and had found many large shapes gathered in rows. He was slowly clearing the crystals from the carvings to find carved statues of landmechs. Each landmech was different but each one held a large hammer and had strange glyphs carved into the base. Orion had only three more statues to go and he would be done clearing his garden.

He began clearing away the crystals again and found that this carving made him afraid, the landmech had a mean look to his face and the hammer had been broken off and destroyed. Orion quickly went to the second to last statue and soon revealed a much more friendly looking landmech who was shown with a very big smile and had kind optics.

Orion turned to the last statue and stretched out a servo to begin to clear away the crystals when there was a loud snapping sound and Orion was barely able to drag himself away as the crystals collapsed and dropped off the statue to fall to the ground. Orion looked up and saw the statue was now cleared of crystals revealing a handsome landmech with kind optics who was holding his hammer authoritatively.

Orion looked at the statue and decided he liked that one the very best.

Orion began to drag himself back to his pool to get some techno-clams to munch, as his tank began to grumble and paused half way back as he heard a strange sound coming from the wall. Orion looked along the wall but couldn't find the source of the strange sound. Orion resumed dragging himself to his pool and soon could see the lip of the pool and his baskets of tasty treats within.

Suddenly, something bit down hard on Orion's tail, right where the delicate fins met the stronger scales. Orion screamed and thrashed trying to get whatever was attacking him to let go.

oOoOoOoOoOo

 

Ultra walked along the paths of the gardens, he had been searching every sol since Primus had given him his vision of the garden and the beautiful mech. Ultra had found the garden that he could see from the Manor but the garden by the sea was still a mystery.

In the decacycle since that sol he had searched the western cliffs and while he found many gardens, a massive solvent pool/lake that had been obviously designed for boatbot sparklings to judge by the old toys floating on the solvents and an observatory on the western peak that Perceptor had somehow taken over but no garden by the solvent sea. This sol Ultra would begin searching the eastern cliffs and hopefully find the garden and the handsome mech.

The eastern path first led through a few gardens with statuary of handsome and pretty truckbots, then split one part going Southeast and one part going due East. Ultra began to head Southeast but then felt a tug to his spark that only stopped once he had turned to the other path.

Ultra hurried along the path certain that this sol would be the sol he found the mech Primus had shown him. Passing through more gardens, Ultra came to a massive crystal maze and seeing no other path entered it. Using the old stand-by on following the left wall, Ultra wended his way through the maze easily. At last Ultra reached the end and stood before a massive door only to see it had no way of being opened: no handle, no knob, no touch panel, only a large square indented in the middle.

Ultra reached out and touched the indented square in puzzlement. The quiet was shattered at once by a piercing scream, seeming to come from the other side of the door. Ultra drew away from the door and pulled the Magnus hammer from his subspace. Ultra swung the hammer at the door but before the hammer hit the door split in two and swung open on creaking hinges.

Ultra charged in, the screaming growing louder and more piercing as time passed. Ultra looked about and saw before him the garden from his vision, then to his horror saw the source of the screams. There on the ground screaming was the beautiful mech Primus had shown him with a large cyber-hound attacking him and another trying to squeeze under a nearby wall.

Ultra charged at the cyber-hound and with a single swat sent it flying away from the mech and back towards the wall, where it then ran yelping and charged back out the hole under the wall, the second one having fled after Ultra's charge.

Ultra turned to check on the mech he had saved and stared. And stared even longer.

The mech....was gone.

oOoOoOoOoOo

 

As soon as the land creature let go, Orion dragged himself forward and into the safety of the solvents, whimpering at the pain as the solvents got into his wounds. Looking up Orion could see the landmech who had saved him looking around in confusion and then bending to look at the ground where he had lain. As quickly as he could, he gathered his baskets back into his subspace and swam down to the cave below and slowly but cautiously began to swim home.

Finally arriving at the cave he shared with his papas, Orion called out to his papas for help, "Papa! Help me!"

Papa Steelbolt pushed aside the woven hanging and gasped. He swept Orion up into his arms and brought him inside to rest until a medic arrived.

 

oOoOoOoOoOo

 

Ultra stared at the spot where the mech had been laying, then knelt down and examined the area. Where the cyber-hound had been attacking the mech, there were flecks of energon on the ground. However, so was something else. Reaching down, Ultra grabbed it and brought it up to his face so he could better observe it.

It looked almost like a crystal shard, but it was not and he knew he had seen something like it before. Ultra stood and looked about the lovely garden, and at the nearby solvent pool with faint ripples slowly dying away on its surface. There was splash nearby and Ultra turned to see a turbofish jump out of the water then dive back in.

......

....................

Turbofish!

Ultra stared at his servo at what had to be, could only be, a scale.

Was it truly possible?

 

oOoOoOoOoOo

 

Orion lay curled on his side, his poor tail still wrapped in healing kelp paste and woven weed bandages. He had to get out of here. This very sol. It had been a decacycle and a half since his attack on land, and King Beluga had come by nearly every sol. In fact, the King had just left.

King Beluga had become even more aggressive and worse: his frame had begun to release it's mating pheromones which made Orion feel all strange inside. The King had declared Orion well enough to be moved to his palace where he could recover within the harem. He was sending an escort to protect Orion and bring him to the palace in the morning.

Orion knew he had to get away.

Orion carefully rose and packed his subspace with baskets of techno-clams and beta-urchins. He peeked out and seeing no one around began to swim to his secret cave. Managing to avoid all the dominant mermechs who were out picking fights with mating season so close, Orion dipped into his cave and up into the solvent pool. He took a quick look around and then heard something slam down behind him. Turning he found the way back down to the cave and the sea blocked by a large metal slab.

He was trapped. Trapped on land.

 

oOoOoOoOoOo

 

As soon as Ultra returned to the Manor he headed into the library, there he began to pull up any information he could find about ... mechs who might have scales.

He refused to even say... that word. It was too fantastic, too impossible to be true! Wasn't it?

He kept thinking back to the mech he had rescued and the scale he had found left behind. He had seen the mech hadn't he?

He would find out, one way or another! He had left a trap in the solvent pool that would close off the solvent pool from wherever the passage he had found went. He would go every sol and see if the trap had been sprung. He had been amazed at how well kept the garden was and was certain the mech he had seen, and he /had// seen him, was the one who tended to the garden.

He would find out what kind of game Primus was playing with him this time.

 

oOoOoOoOoOo

 

Ultra was beginning to suspect that he had imagined the mech. His research all pointed to... mermechs being only a myth. There was absolutely no evidence to support their existence. None whatsoever.

Except for the beautiful blue scale he had found.

There was something to the scale, but he didn't know what. He only knew something was unique about it because of how Alpha Trion had acted when he showed it to him, hoping that a mech as long lived as he would know of either mermechs or any other place it could have come from.

Alpha had gone completely still and stared at the scale with an odd look of... if Ultra had not known better he would have called it rage, then had harshly asked, "Where did you find that!?"

"I found it near the solvent sea, do you know what it is?"

"The question is do you know what that is, Ultra?" Alpha Trion had glared at Ultra and then Ultra swore he saw the mech's whiskers twitch and shiver before he had tried to grab the scale away from Ultra.

"Alpha Trion, what has come over you?!" At that Alpha stepped away from Ultra and seemed to compose himself.

"My apologies, Magnus. I feel I shall be taking my usual leave for the vorn. I will return in a metacycle. Good sol, Magnus."

With that Alpha had strode away and had not been seen since.

It was very curious.

Oh well, it was time to go and see if the trap had been sprung. If not, he could always tidy up the garden. He had noticed some of the crystals getting a little rough looking and tended to them to return them to the proper state for the garden. 

Ultra headed out towards the garden, threading his way with ease through the maze and coming once more to the door that would only open for the Magus Hammer. Ultra pulled the Hammer from his subspace and pushed open the door. As soon as Ultra stepped within the garden he knew something had changed, sensed that something was different. Ultra quickly moved towards the solvent pool he had set the trap in and then froze.

There in the solvent pool was the beautiful mech Primus had sent the vision of. He was simply sitting in the solvents and had his back turned to Ultra as he gazed out at the solvent sea beyond the cliff. Ultra moved closer, moving as quietly as he could so he didn't scare the mech away again.

"Excuse me, but ..." Ultra got no further in his question before the mech jerked around and then dove under the solvents. Ultra walked over the side of the pool and saw the lovely mech huddled against the metal slab he had set to close the tunnel under the solvents. When the mech saw Ultra, he ducked down lower until he was on the very bottom and gazed fearfully up at Ultra. 

Ultra hated seeing anyone be so frightened, especially frightened of him, but he needed to meet this mech, needed to know if this truly is the mech Primus had chosen for Ultra. Well, Ultra knew how to be patient. Ultra reached up and commed Cliffjumper, "Cliffjumper, clear my schedule for the next Metacycle. Dai Atlas will resume as acting Magnus. And if the council complains, tell them I'm finally taking that vacation they've been nagging me about."

Now Ultra just had to wait for the mermech to make the next move.

 

oOoOoOoOoOo

 

Orion sat at the bottom of the pool staring up at the landmech who had trapped him here. What did he want? Why had he trapped him? Orion winced as his tail began to throb and ache, he had strained the still healing fins trying to duck under the solvents so fast.

Orion looked up and the landmech was sitting on the side of the pool and looking down at him while he was drinking some of the strange pink fluid from the fountain. So it was a fountain of fuel? How very strange.

Orion's tank began to rumble so he pulled out a tasty techno-clam from his subspace and broke it open so he could eat. While he was eating his clam he saw the landmech looking at him strangely but he simply ignored him. He had to go away sometime and then he could try to get out of the pool and back to the sea.

 

oOoOoOoOoOo

 

The. Landmech. Would. Not. Leave!

It had been almost a decacycle and the landmech was still there! He never left once! Orion was beginning to get worried, he was down to his last basket of food and the mech just would not leave. His tail wasn't feeling any better and he needed to move or do something beside staying at the bottom of a pool.

He needed to get out, why wouldn't the landmech leave him alone?

 

oOoOoOoOoOo

 

Ultra was growing worried, the mermech was still huddled on the bottom of the pool and had shown no signs of coming up anytime soon. He didn't want the mermech to suffer, especially if the mech was to be his bonded.

Ultra went over to the patches where the sparkling crystals grew and broke off several shards from each type then set the crystals on the edge of the pool. Ultra took a crystal and broke it up into small pieces and began to scatter them over the solvents to hopefully get the mermech's attention and coax him to the surface.

 

oOoOoOoOoOo

 

Orion looked up as he heard something splash into the solvents; there floating on the solvents were tiny bits of the sweet crystals and he could see more on the side of the pool. Cautiously Orion swam up and began to eat the crystal bits floating on the surface. Every time he thought he had eaten them all there were more. If he hadn't been so hungry he would have realized why that should have worried him, but as it was he continued his 'stupid turbofish' impression and gobbled down the crystals. He didn't realize how little he was paying attention until it was too late.

 

oOoOoOoOoOo

 

Ultra was so relieved that the mermech had come up to eat the crystals and once he realized the mermech was focused solely on eating at the moment, he continued breaking up crystals and tossing them out like he was feeding a turbofish. Soon he had coaxed the mermech closer and closer to the side of the solvent pool until he was right where Ultra wanted him to be.

With a lunge Ultra grabbed the mermech by his tiny waist and dragged him out of the water, only to end up with arms full of angry thrashing mermech. Ultra held on tight and let the mermech tire himself out, until finally he stopped thrashing and lay limp and panting in Ultra's arms.

Ultra looked at the mermech and marveled at how beautiful he was, and how tiny. Even with the large fin of the tail, the mermech's finial tips barely reached Ultra's chin. Ultra just hoped the pretty little mech was intelligent or else he would have caught himself a pet and not a potential bonded.

"P-Please, let me go!" came the softly whimpered voice of the mech in his arm.

"Tell me, what is your name little one? You are the one I rescued, aren't you?" Ultra looked down the mermech's tail and saw the crude bandaging wrapped around it. "You are the mech I rescued, and you're still hurt!"

"Please, just let me go! I want to go home!" The little mermech in his arms gave a few brief fitful thrashes that soon stopped.

"I am afraid I can't do that little one. Please tell me your name? I am Ultra."

The mermech just looked at Ultra then sighed, "Orion. I am Orion, please let me go! I meant no harm to your garden, please!"

Ultra smiled down at the- at Orion, "Hello, Orion. You did a wonderful job on this garden, but that is not why I can't let you go. Let's see if Primus will heal your poor tail. It looks like it hurts quite a bit." Ultra stood up and shifted Orion until he was holding him in his arms and carried him over to the altar. Setting Orion on the altar, Ultra knelt beside the altar.

"Primus, please heal Orion and let him be free from pain."

The altar glowed brightly and when the light faded Orion lay there staring down the length of his frame in disbelief.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME!!!!"

Ultra could only stare at the mer- former mermech and his newly Primus-given legs.

"I-I didn't! Why would Primus? What-?" Ultra could hardly get his mind wrapped around anything more that the fact that his pretty little mermech was now one of the hottest little truckbots he had ever seen.

 

oOoOoOoOoOo

 

Orion was in full out panic mode. He was a mermech, he wasn't supposed to be a landmech! Orion flopped off the altar and began dragging himself towards the solvent pool, only to be swept up by the la- Ultra, and carried in his arms as he headed to the large gate that marked the edge of the garden. Suddenly Orion was being taken farther and farther away from the sea, he tried to thrash but merely ended up flailing the two things that had replaced his beautiful tail. How did landmechs get around with these things?

Orion shuddered as he realized he might be trapped here now as a landmech and looked up at the mech, Ultra, who was carrying him towards a large palace. Orion had no idea what this Ultra wanted from him or why he wouldn't let him go. All he knew was that Primus was showing off his slightly warped sense of humor this sol.

As soon as they entered the palace, Ultra put his servo to his helm and spoke to the air, "Red Alert, I need a medic to come to the Manor please." Orion could only shake his helm, he was trapped here on land with a mad mech. Much to Orion's surprise before too long, a femme had entered the palace with many loud noises. The angry femme yelled at Ultra to put him on the soft bench she called a couch and then she began to scan him all over. She stared at her scanner then used the scanner that appeared to replace a servo and stared at the results it gave her as well.

"He appears healthy, but his code is ...bizarre. I've never seen anything like it before."

Ultra gave the femme a look, and drew him closer to himself. "His health is fine though so it is not an issue. Primus himself gave this mech to me after revealing him to me in a vision at the temple. He is mine."

Orion looked at Ultra in disbelief, the mech claimed Primus had sent a vision of him to Ultra? How could that be? Why would...

Primus, the altar!

Primus had made the altar glow and had taken his tail and left him these...things. Primus must had done this for a reason. He had to. Who was this Ultra to have Primus himself working miracles for him?

 

oOoOoOoOoOo

 

Ultra was so relieved when Red Alert said that Orion was fine. However he also caught the look in her optics as she stared at the frightened former mermech, so he had to warn her away from his mech. Once he was sure Orion was fine he dismissed Red Alert, scooped him up again and carried him to the berthroom next to his own and laid him on the berth. Orion stared up at him fearfully and as soon as Ultra let go of him, the little mech had dragged himself back against the wall.

"I am not going to hurt you, Orion. I will not force you into a berth. I would never dishonor any mech in such a manner let alone the one sent to me by Primus."

"Did, did Primus really show you a vision of me?"

"Yes, he did. He showed me a vision of the garden I found you in as well."

"Who are you that Primus sends you visions and gives you mechs?"

"I am Primus' chosen Magnus, ruler of all Cybertron and leader of the Autobot Empire. Primus' chosen Avatar."

Orion stared at him, awe in his optics.

"So you are greater than the king then! Then I don't have to join his harem!" Orion looked excited.

"What King? Why would you be in his harem if you do not wish to be?"

"The King? King of the Mermechs, Beluga Longfin? He tries to get all the new egg-carrier mermechs into his harem when mating season starts. This season the King has been focused on me and has kept trying to drive me off to his palace."

"He will not get you here, you will never be claimed against your will like that. You will be safe here."

"Thank you, but ... will I ever be allowed to return to my home? My papas will worry if I am not back soon."

Ultra looked away before answering honestly, "I don't know how to get your tail back. I would like you to stay here awhile so I may attempt to court you properly and perhaps we could become friends and possibly more."

Orion blushed beautifully at the mention of 'and more' and looked away, "I will try, Ultra."

 

oOoOoOoOoOo

 

Orion glanced up at Ultra, noting how pleased he looked at his agreement to allow a courting. He was not sure what all occurred in a landmech courting but he would trust in Primus that this was his will. He began to look at the room he was in more closely, his fears of being dishonored abated for the moment, and was amazed at the beautiful and detailed carvings that covered the walls.

Ultra seemed to notice Orion was awed by the room, "This will be your room for as long as you wish. There is a private washrack through the other door... right... over...the- Are you, can you walk?"

Orion looked at the mech in confusion, "What is 'walk'?"

Ultra had an odd look on his faceplates, "Walking is how you move, on legs anyway."

He pointed at the odd things that had replaced his tail, "So these are 'legs', and you 'walk' them?"

Ultra laughed and shook his head, "Yes, those are legs Orion and you walk /on// them. I will assume that this means you can't walk. I could teach you if you like?"

Orion liked the idea of being able to get around on his own without being carried about like a tasty techno- clam. Mmm techno-clams. That is another matter to ask. "I would like to learn how to do the 'walk'. Do you have any techno-clams I could eat? Or a beta-urchin or two, or three?"

Ultra looked at Orion in confusion, "Techno-clams? Beta-urchins? Are those what you eat? Can you not take energon at all?"

"Energon? Is that the funny pink stuff the other fountain gives instead of solvents? Is that what you eat? It's so bland though, why would you want that stuff when there are crystals or techno-clams to munch?"

"You don't like energon? At all?" Ultra looked startled at the very idea, "I could get you crystals easily enough but your...clams and things might be a little harder. Are you sure you don't like energon?"

"Very sure, energon is all bland and tasteless." Orion made a face at the very thought of the nasty liquid. "You should try my techno-clams Ultra, they are delicious and yummy!"

Ultra made a strange face, "Perhaps later. Would you like to try walking now or I could show you around my home if you would rather do that?"

Orion cocked his head and looked down at his new ...legs. "What do I need to do?"

Ultra reached out and lifted Orion to the edge of the berth. "Now put your peds on the floor and I will help you stand up."

Orion looked at Ultra questioningly, "What are 'peds' and 'stand' and how does it go up?"

Ultra sighed, "Your peds are where your fins used to be at the bottom of your legs. Put your peds down on the ground, and I will help you stand."

Orion moved his...peds off the berth and looked up at Ultra who lifted him up and let him dangle with his peds on the ground. "Now what do I do Ultra?"

"Let your peds take the weight of your frame with your legs. Now try to balance yourself, I'll catch you if you fall forward and you have the berth behind you."

Orion looked down at his peds and tried to balance as Ultra slowly released his servos, only to fall forward into Ultra's arms.

"That's okay, Orion, try again. You'll get it!"

Almost a joor later, Orion had mastered the art of standing and was able to take shuffling steps as he edged around furniture and the walls. Ultra refused to say anything, but secretly he swore Orion was adorable with his face scrunched up in concentration as he slowly shuffled around his room.

Finally noticing the time of sol, Ultra scooped Orion up into his arms once more. "I hadn't realized it was so late, Orion. Let's go out and find somewhere to fuel. Maybe one of the restaurants has those techno-clams you were wanting."

Orion felt his tank rumble at the thought of tasty techno-clams, "Mmm, yes! Techno-clams!"

Ultra laughed and carried Orion out of the room and down the hall to the front door. "Now, Orion, I am not sure how crowded or busy it is in the solvent sea but I want to warn you that Iacon is very loud and very crowded. If you feel overwhelmed at all, just let me know alright?"

Orion pouted up at Ultra, "I am not some new hatchling, Ultra! I'll be fine, it can't be worse than the market sols on the cyrstal reefs!"

As soon as Ultra opened the front door, the sounds alone slammed into Orion and stunned him. So many landmechs! In so many different kinds!

However, to his dismay, as soon as the many landmechs and femmes caught sight of Orion in

Ultra's arms there came several horrible sounding crashes and strange floating devices began to cluster around them.

Orion curled up closer to Ultra, "Ultra? What's going on? What are these things?"

Ultra gave an irritated huff, "Pressbots, Orion, with their camera drones. Slag, I had hoped to have a few sols of privacy with you before this happened."

Before Orion could respond, Ultra began to push his way through the crowd of pressbots by shouting "No comment, no comment please," over and over until at last Ultra stood on the street.

Orion looked up at Ultra, "Now what do we do, Ultra?"

Ultra looked down at Orion and smiled, "Now you hang on tight, Orion alright?"

"Hang on-!"

Before Orion could finish asking what he meant, Ultra began to twist and shift beneath him until

Orion was perched on top of what had to be Ultra but he looked so different.

"Hang on Orion, I'm going to magnitize you and you may feel a faint tugging feeling. I'm sorry about this, next time I'll have a proper trailer for you to ride in."

Orion didn't know why but the word 'trailer' made his spark throb and the joining of his new 'legs' felt hot and tight in a strange way.

"Alright Ultra, this is fine. Where are we going?"

"We are going to a place called 'The World's End'. It is one of the best restaurants on all of Cybertron. If they do not have your 'techno-clams' they may know of somewhere that does."

Ultra pulled out into the traffic and headed to The World's End, dodging the gawkers and pressbots who had followed him. Bots acted like they never saw the Magnus with a gorgeous truckbot before.

By the time they reached the restaurant, a fairly good sized crowd was following trying to get image captures of Orion and Ultra together. It was a relief to enter the restaurant and return to peace and quiet.

The bot at the seating station gave both Orion and Ultra unimpressed look-overs. "Magnus, perhaps you and your...guest would like to polish up before you are seated?"

Orion looked down at himself and then at Ultra to try and see what the mech was looking at but saw nothing aside from some scrapes and scratches that had happened when he had been thrashing in Ultra's arms. He didn't see a problem with their appearance.

Judging by the embarrassed look Ultra had though, Ultra did as he nodded to the mech and carried Orion to a small chamber. The chamber had a small niche with odd fittings and a large mirror bigger than any he had seen before. Orion found himself set on a shelf in the niche, he looked up at Ultra to ask what he was doing when suddenly solvents came pouring from above him making Orion yelp in surprise.

Ultra laughed at Orion's yelp and began scrubbing the former mermech's plating, being sure to remove all paint transfers and scratches from his armor. As Ultra scrubbed down Orion's new legs, Orion seemed fine but as soon as Ultra reached Orion's peds Orion began to laugh and laugh. Ultra looked up at Orion in confusion and Orion looked down at him, "My fin was very sensitive, I think it carried over to my peds."

Orion got nervous when Ultra gave him a sly look, and then tickled the ped he held in his servo.

Orion laughed helplessly as Ultra continued for a full breem.

 

oOoOoOoOoOo

 

Ultra could only stare entranced at the little mech laughing so freely as he tickled his ped. Orion was simply adorable and made Ultra want to lock him away and keep him safe from the rest of the universe. He could never thank Primus enough for leading him to this former mermech. And Primus willing he would be able to woo Orion into being his.

Ultra released Orion's ped and finished scrubbing his armor before carrying Orion to the stool by the mirror. Ultra made sure Orion was alright before hopping into the washrack and doing a quick scrub of himself. Ultra turned off the solvents and headed back to Orion, pulling his wax and a polishing cloth from his subspace. Ultra began to carefully polish Orion, skipping over his faceplates, sparkplates and his interface panel, and polishing the rest to a high luster. Ultra then handed the polishing cloth to Orion, "You'll have to finish polishing yourself, Orion. It wouldn't be right for me to do those areas."

Orion had done very well, for his first time polishing like this. Ultra did a quick but thorough polish of himself, then swept Orion into his arm and carried him back out to the mech at the seating station. "If you'll lead us to my table, Fastbeat?"

The mech, Fastbeat, nodded and led Ultra and Orion to a secluded table in a private room with a view looking over the public crystal gardens. Ultra set Orion down on a soft chair at the table and then sat down beside him. Orion stared at the gardens through the window with an awed look on his face, "Ultra, whose garden is that? It's so big, I never imagined a garden so large!"

Ultra smiled at Orion, "That is the public garden, Orion. It is for everyone to enjoy, that's why it's so big. If you like we can go there tomorrow, and I can show it to you."

Orion turned and gazed at Ultra with big optics, "Really? I'd love too! I love gardens!"

Ultra laughed at Orion's innocent enthusiasm, "Yes, really. I have admit I am surprised you love gardens so much. Do all mermechs love them so much?"

Orion looked down and blushed, "No, we aren't even supposed to go on land, but when I found your garden-"

"/Our// garden."

"Our garden, I fell in love with it."

Ultra smiled at Orion, "I am glad, after all the garden is what ended up bringing us together."

When the waiter arrived Ultra skimmed over the menu he was handed and then asked, "Do you perhaps serve techno-clams? Orion claims they are delicious, and are a delicacy where he is from."

The waiter gave Ultra and Orion an odd look, "I apologize my Magnus, I do not believe we have...techno-clams tonight. Perhaps your companion might enjoy something else?"

Ultra looked at Orion, and Orion asked, "Do you have any beta-urchins? Those are good too!"

The waiter gave a sidelong look at the Magnus, "Yes, we have a few beta-urchins. I must admit you are the first to request them besides Alpha Trion. I will have the kitchen prepare them for you at once. And what would you like, Magnus?"

Ultra looked at the menu, then looked up at the waiter, "I would like the triple-filtered solar medium grade with the crystal blend mixed in and an order of rust sticks for two."

"Very good, my Magnus. I will have your rust sticks out momentarily."

"Would you like to try my beta-urchins when they are ready?"

Ultra smiled at Orion, "If you wish, I'll try them. I hope you like the rust sticks when they are here. I have always had a taste for them."

Orion looked at Ultra curiously, "Are rust sticks sweet, like the yummy crystals?"

Ultra laughed at the innocent excitement Orion had for everything, "They can be. Rust sticks come with flavored dips that have varied flavors, some are spicy, some are tart, and of course, some are sweet."

"You have so many tasty things here Ultra! I want to try them all! May I, Ultra? May I try everything?"

Ultra laughed again at the bright earnest expression on Orion's faceplates and the way his optics seemed to get bigger as they gleamed entreatingly. "You may try Orion but it would take a very, very long time to try everything. Or did you just mean everything here at the restaurant?"

Orion got a very determined look on his faceplates, "I want to try everything everywhere!"

At that moment the waiter returned with a large platter of rust sticks and seven small bowls of the special dips. "Here you are my Magnus, please let us know if you prefer other dips or wish for more rust sticks."

"Thank you very much. We will do so if it is needed but we will need to save room for our fuel. Isn't that right Orion?"

Ultra turned to Orion when he didn't hear a reply, and saw him carefully dipping a rust stick into what appeared to be a sweet but spicy dip. Orion brought it to his lips and Ultra had to strangle a rev from escaping when Orion began to slowly lick the rust stick and making tiny moans.

Orion paused in his...activities...and looked at Ultra, "Aren't you going to have some too? These are really really good! I love them!"

Orion then began to nibble on the rust stick until it was gone and then reached for another and carefully dipped it into a different dip. Ultra looked down and reached for one of his own rust sticks only to freeze at the sound of someone making a wheezing intake. Ultra looked to the side and saw the waiter still standing there and staring at Orion with lust his optics. "Thank you. We are fine for the moment. Perhaps you can check on my fuel and the beta-urchins?"

The waiter jerked and flushed at being caught and scampered back out of the private room.

Ultra ate only two rust sticks, the rest he left for Orion to enjoy. Orion slowly nibbled and licked his way through the entire double order, savoring each of the different flavors with little moans and dim optics that made Ultra rev with want as well made his interface panel ache.

Finally the waiter returned with a tray containing their fuel. Ultra's was a pale nearly white pink energon with soft swirls of various crystals skillfully blended through that he thought looked wonderful. When Ultra looked over at Orion's fuel though, he was surprised. The beta-urchins looked like little spheres with flat knobs all over. "How do you eat these things, Orion? What are those odd knobs that are all over it?"

Orion laughed at Ultra, "Those knobs are where the spines used to be, you have to break them off because they are very sharp and can hurt a ...mech. You eat them like this!"

With that, Orion picked up a beta-urchin and broke the shell open then slurped down the soft squishy internals. Ultra felt as though he would purge. Mermechs were strange. Very strange.

Ultra tried to fight back the urge to purge as Orion slid on beta-urchin over to him. "Here you go Ultra! Just wait, you'll see how yummy they are!"

Ultra looked down at the beta-urchin with an uneasy expression before he picked it up and broke it in half as Orion had. Ultra tipped the shell a little and swallowed a small bit of the slimy internals only to freeze, a look of disgust plain on his faceplates.

It was fortunate that the waiter returned at that moment and was able to provide a clean cloth for Ultra to spit the horrible things out- which he did followed by several large sips of his energon.

The waiter gave Ultra an amused look, "I take it that you weren't told that you actually eat the shell and not the internals?"

Ultra gave Orion an questioning look, only for Orion to make a face, "But the internals are the best part! The shell is alright but not as tasty."

Ultra looked down at his beta-urchin and then poured the internals back on the platter in front of Orion. Ultra looked down at the empty shell and then took a cautious bite and then a bigger one with a grunt of surprise.

Soon between the two of them, Ultra had eaten all the shells and Orion had slurped down the internals with gusto- a sight which had made the waiter look a bit queasy himself. Ultra then looked down and saw his cube to the side and offered it to Orion, "Would you like to try mine now, Orion? I particularly enjoy this blend quite a bit."

Orion gave the cube a wary look, "I don't like the pink stuff. It won't taste good."

"I thought you wanted to try everything, Orion? Most fuels have energon in them. Try it, we'll see if we can find you some you like."

Orion sighed and pouted, his lower lip stuck out and made Ultra want to nibble it. "I suppose."

Ultra offered the cube towards him again and Orion took it this time, still pouting. Orion brought the cube to his lips and took a tiny sip before he moaned and his optics dimmed with pleasure. Orion began to drink in fast gulps, moaning between the gulps and Ultra had to put out a servo to stop Orion from drinking it all.

Ultra looked at Orion humorously, "I thought you weren't going to like it? Or were you just pretending to enjoy it?"

Orion whined and reached out for the cube, "It's good, give it back! I want it!"

Ultra looked at Orion's pleading optics and then downed the cube himself in a few large slugs.

Orion gave Ultra a betrayed look and he huffed sadly. Ultra had to laugh, "Now it's time for our dessert Orion, what would you like to try?"

Orion perked right up at the idea of more food. "What is dessert? What kinds are there? Are they tasty?"

Ultra chuckled, "Dessert is a treat after the main meal. There are many kinds available here and they are all very tasty. I think I know what to get you."

When the waiter came and cleared the table and asked if they wanted any dessert, Ultra nodded,

"I'd like to get one of the large dessert samplers for Orion and a mini-cube of your whipped crystal cakes for myself."

"Excellent choices, my Magnus. I'll bring them right out."

Orion turned wide optic onto Ultra, "A sampler? Does that mean what I think it does?"

Ultra nodded, "It means you get a little of each of their desserts."

Orion squealed and bounced in his seat with glee until the waiter returned with another mech carrying a massive covered tray and he froze in shock. Orion stared at the huge tray in awe as it was put on the table before him. The second mech left as the waiter removed the domed cover to reveal an array of delicious bite sized treats and sweets. Orion's optics grew so big Ultra feared he may need to call a medic for emergency repairs. While Orion gazed upon the tray with wonder the waiter set Ultra's small cube of whipped energon cake before him.

Naturally, as soon as Ultra had his small dessert and the waiter was gone Orion tried to dip a finger in Ultra's dessert to steal a taste but Ultra moved his out of reach and pointed at Orion's massive layout of goodies. "You have your own goodies, Orion. Try them, find out what you like the best."

Orion pouted a bit but was unable to keep it up for long with so many tasty things to try.

 

oOoOoOoOoOo

 

Ultra wondered why Primus was testing him like this.

Orion had somehow been able to finish the entire sampler, savoring each morsel with moans and mewls that made Ultra have to try and remember he was a gentlemech. Once finished, Orion had curled up in his chair and entered recharge.

Ultra could hardly blame Orion for being tired, it had been an amazing, overwhelming sol.

Primus, it had only been a single sol.

A single sol and he had an armful of warm and snuggly former-mermech turned hot aft truckbot.

Sometimes, Primus worried Ultra. Times like these.

As Ultra approached the Magnus Manor, he heard an engine coming from behind him and coming fast. Turning to see who was approaching and was just able to jump back out of the way as some bot went screeching around the corner. Ultra was barely able to make out the outline of some kind of racecar but nothing more.

Fortunately, Orion had not awakened thanks to Ultra's bout of circuit-su and diffusion training with Master Yoketron. Being Ninjabot trained had it's perks for certain. Ultra headed onto his estate, informing the guards at the entrance about the racecar and his suspicions that the bot had been overcharged. Over-charged driving was becoming quite a problem especially in newly adult bots who didn't know their limits.

Ultra set Orion down on the berth in Orion's new room, and watched him curl up a bit and sigh in contentment. Ultra covered Orion with a metalmesh and tucked it around his frame. After ensuring Orion would be comfortable, Ultra then headed to his own quarters and strode towards the washracks. He needed to relax a bit before he was able to recharge.

 

oOoOoOoOoOo

 

King Beluga Longfin sat on his throne and stared out over his mermech court. He could see the dominant mermechs were already claiming their partner or partners and any move by another dominant would be seen as a challenge for the egg-carrier.

Beluga had seen the subtle, and not so subtle, dances of the mating time come and go long ago. Ever since Primus had made Beluga and cast him into the sea with his beloved mate, the mating time had come with perfect precision.

Beluga shifted a little to ease the pang in his spark at the thought of his lost mate. How he missed his beloved Beachcomber. It had been a wonderful match their maker had wrought that day.

Even Beachcomber's frame-kin were all gone: not even the mermechs had seen a Selenium Selkie in centivorns.

Beluga was pleased to see how many mermechs filled his court, especially after the dark time when the false Magnus had ruled the land. The mad mech had wrought havoc across Cybertron, and Primus had had to smite the mech. But not before many a mermech had lost one dear to them. There had not been a family that had not lost a loved one, be it a mate or even a clutch of eggs.

Beluga felt a familiar tingling fill his sensors as a lovely egg-carrier mech swam by playfully pushing his EM field at the King. Such a bold one.

Beluga's mind did not remain on the egg-carrier for long, for only one egg-carrier haunted him this mating season: Orion. Orion was one of the loveliest egg-carriers Beluga had seen in all of his long life as well as being the first mech since his beloved Beachcomber who dared challenge him so.

Orion may have a lead at the moment but Beluga was confident that at the end of the race, he could catch and claim his victory from Orion's frame.

It was only a matter of when the chase would end.

 

oOoOoOoOoOo

 

Orion had never been happier. He had been on land for a decacycle now and with each sol the feelings he had for Ultra had only grown stronger.

Ultra was very kind and so noble. He showered Orion with gifts and smiles and both were equally as precious to Orion. He knew that these feelings were the same as the ones he had heard about from his papas' stories of how they met and found one another.

His papas.

That was the only thing that kept Orion from being completely happy, for he knew his papas would be so worried about him. He had no way of getting a message to them and he knew if he was gone much longer his papas would start searching for him. There were so many dangerous places and he worried his papas might go there looking for him. He would never be able to forgive himself if something happened to one of his papas because of him.

Orion looked around the garden, amazed at how different it all looked from this high up instead of so low to the ground. This was now Ultra and his special place, where they came to be together and where they came when they needed to be apart. It was a perfect spot for them both.

So when Ultra carefully entered, looking to see if Orion would welcome him or wished to be alone, Orion smiled softly to show he was glad to see him. Ultra sat next to Orion and cupped his helm before placing a gentle kiss to Orion's lips.

"Something is bothering you, Orion. Is there anything I can do to help at all?"

Orion curled up against Ultra, "I am worried about my papas. They must be so worried about me, and if they go trying to look for me they might get hurt or worse! Oh Ultra, I wish I could just let them know I was safe."

Ultra wrapped an arm around Orion, softly rubbing his back plating. "If you like we could ask if Primus knows a way to let your papas know you're safe and happy. That way you could put your mind and theirs at ease."

Orion looked up at Ultra shyly, "Do you think we should bother him about this? I mean, I just-"

"I think we should ask him, after all Primus was the one who brought us together in the first place Orion." With that Ultra scooped up Orion and stood up before heading to the private altar in the center of the garden.

Ultra allowed Orion to slip from his arms and then they both knelt before the altar. Ultra looked at Orion and nodded for him to ask Primus. "Primus, I- we come to ask for your help. Can you help us find a way to let my papas know I am safe?"

Orion had barely finished his request when the altar glowed a bright blinding blue. When the light faded Orion looked around and was glad to see he was still before the altar with Ultra, but then paused at the look on Ultra's face. It was a look of shock and wonder and seemed to be directed down towards his....

Oh, Primus! He had his tail back.

Orion ran a servo down his tail, and it felt just the same as it always had. Somehow he thought it should be different after being made into legs and then changed back. Orion looked up at Ultra joyfully, and saw that Ultra looked saddened. "Ultra what's wrong?"

Ultra looked away from Orion, "You, you have your tail back. I will keep my word, you are free to leave whenever you wish. Would you like me to carry you to your pool?"

Orion realized the problem at once and fixed it just as fast, by reaching up and drawing Ultra's helm down to his and pulling him into a long slow kiss. "I would stay with you, Ultra, but I need to tell my papas I am safe and then I will return to you. I swear I will return, I swear by Primus."

Ultra beamed down at him, "I will hold you to that Orion. I could not imagine not having you here with me. I...I fear you will think too bold but I must say it: I...I love you Orion. With all my spark I love you."

Orion felt his spark leap in happiness, as he clung to Ultra in joy before rising up to steal another kiss, "I...I love you too, Ultra. With all my spark."

 

oOoOoOoOoOo

 

Ultra continued to kiss Orion as he pulled Orion onto his lap, letting his servos wander over Orion's frame and map out his proper form. After all there had been many delicious changes, like Orion's lovely tail which Ultra mapped out three times just be sure he had it right.

For truly Orion's tail had been crafted by Primus, tiny scales overlapping in perfect rows each one gleaming brightly. Bright blue ones covered Orion's aft then they graduated into a soft silver that went down to the joint then shifted into the beautiful fin which was a filmy transparent blue with soft silver accents.

Ultra traced the tail joint and then up a little bit to the area where Orion had been...bitten by the cyber-hound and was overjoyed to see no scarring. Ultra traced where the wound would have been and wondered which scale had replaced the one he had found. Speaking of that, Ultra turned to face Orion squarely and reached into his subspace and pulled out a tiny box. "Orion I would like to give you something. Actually it would be more like returning something."

Orion took the tiny box and ran his fingers along the tiny carvings covering the box and then opened it. Orion gasped, "Ultra, is this one of my scales? How did you get it, when?"

Ultra looked to the side, "I found it after....after I rescued you. I hardly dared to believe I had really seen you, let alone that you really were a mermerch. The most beautiful mermech."

Orion reached up and turned Ultra's face back him and drew him into a kiss. "I never did thank you for rescuing me, you know. I..we, um do you know about what is going to happen next decacycle?"

Ultra looked down at Orion in confusion, "No, what happens next decacycle?"

Orion blushed so adorably that Ultra had to kiss him making it a few breems before Orion was able to explain. "Next decacycle is...well we have always just called it mating season. It is when we are able to ... make sparklings."

Ultra rumbled deeply and Orion heard the strange sound from Ultra's pelvic region again.

"You..you have a mating season to have sparklings? How..remarkable. What do you..do exactly?"

Orion looked down, "The dominants start choosing the egg-carriers if they aren't bonded or add to their harems if they are. And then my papas say they go to the special caverns and...make the sparklings."

Ultra tipped Orion's face up to look at him, " 'Your papas say'? You haven't...you are...?"

Orion blushed again, deeper than before, "This is my first mating season. I have never been mature enough before. I just came of age a vorn ago and mating season is every five vorns and only lasts two decacycles."

Ultra made a harsh, angry sound from his engine and the sound from his pelvic region was louder than before, "So...this is your first mating season? Does that mean you are..untouched?"

Orion looked away in embarrassment, "Y-yes, I'm still sealed. That's why I came here originally, I was going to hide here until the season was over so that King Beluga would leave me alone. I told you before, when your medic scanned me, that the King has been trying to force me into his harem. I don't want him, I...I want you."

Ultra smashed Orion in a fierce kiss, "You cannot say such things to me, little mermech. I want you so bad and now you taunt me so cruelly."

Orion mewled as Ultra's servo began to caress his tail but was confused when he moved them back up to his pelvic area. Was Ultra already picturing him full of his eggs? "Do- do you wish to see me full of your eggs already, Ultra?" Orion asked breathlessly.

Ultra looked puzzledly down at Orion, "I'd love to see you..full of eggs, but why do you ask now?"

Orion looked up at him in confusion, "You keep touching me where the eggs develop in me, of course. That is why I asked."

Now Ultra looked confused as well, "Where should I touch you then, if I want to please you?"

Orion blushed again and looked away as a soft sound of plating retracting was heard. Ultra looked down and saw a...worryingly small opening near the base of Orion's tail was now exposed. It was frighteningly close to where Orion had been bitten, only a few sparse mechano-inches above it in fact.

Ultra traced a single finger around the opening and Orion moaned and shuddered in his arms. It seemed Ultra was still curious though for he carefully eased the tip of finger into the opening and seemed to try and tug it open further only for it to barely move. With that, Ultra removed his finger and began to pet Orion's tail as a concerned look came over Ultra's face.

"What is wrong Ultra? Do, do I displease you?"

Ultra pressed a quick kiss to Orion's lips, "Never, Orion, never. I am - merely worried. I fear, I fear that you are far too small to be able to sheathe my spike. You are quite small and I am quite large."

Orion looked up at him, "Don't worry, it is said that King Beluga is quite large and none of his harem have been unable to be claimed by him. I am sure you are not too big."

With that Ultra shifted Orion off his lap and back onto the seat next to him. Ultra's perlvic armor retracted and....Oh merciful Primus!

A truly massive huge spike slid free. Orion drew away fearfully from the giant spike. "Ultra! You- your spike- You have a monster spike!" Orion shivered at the very thought of /that// trying to fit in him.

Ultra seemed to see his fear and managed to force his monster spike back down and locked it away. Orion was scooped up and set back on Ultra's lap, although he seemed a bit nervous about his seat now. "Shh Orion, it will be okay. We'll find a way. I'll ask Primus for help if it comes down to it."

Orion curled against Ultra, "Oh Ultra, why was Primus so cruel that he gave you a spike like a sharkticon? You could be half as big and still be very large and give me lots of eggs. Why would he do this?"

Ultra hugged him close, "I do not know, little one. But he brought us together and I'm sure there must be a way. How about you go and let your papas know you're safe and I'll ask Primus for help about our problem? We can meet back here and have a picnic here in the garden."

Orion smiled up at Ultra, "Okay. I know you'll find a way, Ultra. I'll go see my papas and let them know how happy I am with you and that you have been keeping me safe."

Ultra stood up with Orion in his arms and carried him over to the shallow solvent pool, carefully lowering Orion into it. Ultra then bent down and kissed Orion again, "Come back safe to me Orion. I love you."

Orion kissed Ultra in return, "I will, I love you too."

With that Ultra went to the back wall of the solvent pool and winched up the plate that sealed the pool from the lower cavern. Ultra drew the plate all the way up and then removed the plate entirely. "There, now you can come and go as you please, Orion."

Orion beamed up at him, "Thank you Ultra! I'll be back as soon as I can!"

Orion dove down and swam into the cavern and headed for his papas' home, being careful to not be seen by anyone around. Finally, his papas' home was right in front of him and Orion carefully eased himself around the woven hanging that covered the entrance.

As soon as Papa Steelbolt saw Orion, he dropped the metal he was working and swam over to him, drawing him into a tight hug. "Oh sparkling! We were so worried about you! Where have you been! We were about to start searching the wilds for you! Are you okay?"

Orion laughed and hugged his papa back, "I'm fine papa. I have so much to tell you, where is Papa Powerdrive? I want to tell you both!"

At that moment, Powerdrive swam into the room from outside. Powerdrive dropped the items he was carrying and swam over to draw Orion into a hug of his own. "Sparkling! Oh my precious sparkling. I was afraid I was never going to see you again. You had us so worried! Where have you been?"

"Oh papa, I missed you too! I missed you both so much! I... I met someone, oh papas, he is wonderful! He loves me and is going to be the one to give me eggs!"

Steelbolt guided Powerdrive and Orion to the nearby couch and curled up with them there. "Slow down sparkling. Now who is this mech and where does he live? If he loves you like you say, then we need to meet him. We have to sure he knows to treat you right."

Orion sighed and curled up closer to his papas, "His name is Ultra and his... cave is in the wilds east of here. He loves me papa! I know he does, and I love him too! He treats me like I was a crystal mermech and gets me lots of yummy sweets just to spoil me."

Powerdrive and Steelbolt exchanged looks over Orion's helm, "He sounds very nice, sparkling. How did you meet him?"

Orion blushed and looked away shyly, "He rescued me, papa. When I got attacked and had my tail hurt? He was the one who saved me and drove the monster away. Primus led him to me just in time! It's a sign of how much Primus wants us to be together, I know it is!"

Powerdrive gave a startled and fearful look to Steelbolt, "When you say Primus wants you to be together, sparkling....how could you know that for sure?"

Orion beamed up at his Papa and pointed at his tail, "Ultra put me on a Primus altar and prayed and Primus healed me! Look, I don't even have a scar or anything!"

Sure enough upon looking even very closely at Orion's tail, it was indeed fully healed without even the merest sign of a scar or chipped scale.

Sharing an even more concerned look, Powerdrive and Steelbolt hugged their sparkling closer to themselves. "Tell us more about this Ultra, Sparkling."

 

oOoOoOoOoOo

 

Ultra watched as the last glimpse of Orion slipped away as his tail tip slipped from view and sighed. Turning towards the altar, he knelt and asked Primus, "Is there a way, Primus? I love him so much and would love to have sparklings with him. Please help us, Primus."

However, all he received from Primus was a vague sense of smugness and the idea of 'soon'.

Ultra rose with another sigh and headed to the gate back to the Manor. He would try to think of a way to be with Orion and get things ready for Orion's return. In fact, he had an idea for a surprise. He just knew Orion would love it.

As soon as he reached the Manor, Ultra went to the com console and contacted an old friend.

"Hoist, I was hoping you would be able to assist with a special project that requires your unique talents. I am sending you the rough overview, could you draw up plans for it and send them to me. Thank you."

Knowing Hoist would have the plans to him before too long, Ultra headed towards the library to do more research only to be stopped by an urgent comcall. "Magnus, the council requires your presence for a vote. They say it is quite urgent."

"Very well. I shall be there shortly, Cliffjumper."

 

oOoOoOoOoOo

 

The council was complete bedlam when Ultra arrived. Several fierce shouting matches were going on across the council chamber, three councilors were on the verge of fisticuffs and one councilor, Snapjaw by the looks of him, was being held in a chokehold by what appeared to be Councilor Treadbolt. What the frag?

"What in the name of Primus is going on here!? This is the Council Chamber of Cybertron not a playground for sparklings! Everyone to your proper seats at once! This behavior is unacceptable from the governing body of a planet! I leave you alone for a decacycle and this is what happens? This is why I usually don't take leave! Councilor Sedan, explain to me how this happened and what prompted this....scene."

"Ultra Magnus, while I do not know what prompted the violent actions of several councilors, the shouting was over a proposed rearranging of several districts borders in regard to several benefits such as the energon distribution centers and the free clinics. Several districts in the redistribution would lose both assets in the process."

"I see. If that is the case then the proposed redistricting is a failure and will not occur and the ones whom are proposing it need to either have a justifiable reason for doing so or a better plan of implementation so that no Cybertronian would suffer so unduly."

"You speak wisely, Magnus. Let it be put to a vote."

The council began to vote and soon the results were tallied showing an unanimous defeat. Once the results were formally announced the councilors began to leave the council chambers, many hurrying out with ashamed looks on their faceplates. After most of the councilors had left, Ultra began to head out, hoping to return to the Magnus Manor to gather the picnic supplies and await Orion's return. Unfortunately, he had barely gotten about halfway to the door when he was approached by Cliffjumper and Alpha Trion.

"Magnus, I apologize for disturbing you but there are several rumors going around about this young mech you've been seen with. May I ask if it would be possible to be introduced?"

"Perhaps another time Alpha. Orion needed to return home for a little while, and I am not sure what time he'll return."

Alpha Trion got a strange look on his faceplates at Orion's name, "Of course, Magnus. I look forward to meeting... _Orion_."

With that Alpha Trion turned and left with his old fashioned cape fluttering behind him. Ultra turned to Cliffjumper next, "Yes, Cliffjumper? Is there something you needed?"

"I apologize for bothering you, Ultra Magnus but there are a few documents at headquarters that need your signature glyph and Dai Atlas is not allowed to sign as your proxy."

"Very well, Cliffjumper. Let's go, while we're there I'll need to formalize that I'm extending my leave by another three decacycles."

Cliffjumper looked shocked, "A-another three decacycles, Magnus? Of course."

 

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

 

King Beluga Longfin, known to the landmechs as Alpha Trion, strode from the council chamber purposefully heading on to the road before speeding to his home. The landmechs would never have guessed at the secrets it held or that it was the reason that Iacon had been founded there. King Beluga's home had stood since the first Cybertronians had walked Primus' surface.

As soon as the King reached his home, he went to the private salon that only he could open and headed for the lavish solvent pool that glistened innocently beneath the skylight. Once in the solvents Beluga transformed back into his proper mermech form, he had an egg-carrier to catch.

 

oOoOoOoOoOo

 

Orion lay curled up with his papas on the couch, happily cuddled and petted. If only he could tell his papas that Ultra was a landmech, but he knew if he did they would never let him leave. He knew they would never understand.

Soon Orion began to extract himself from the hugs and cuddles, he needed to start heading back to Ultra. "Papas, I know I just got back but I promised I would have fuel with Ultra this sol and need to head back. I'll come back and visit as much as I can before the season starts. And after the season, who knows, you might be helping me get ready for my first egg laying!"

Papa Powerdrive hugged him again, "My little sparkling, all grown up and about to go through his first mating season!"

"Indeed he is, Powerdrive. That is why we have come to collect him."

Orion pulled away from his papa with a gasp, and saw standing in the entrance none other than King Beluga Longfin with several guards behind him.

"K-king Beluga! What do you mean? Orion has chosen whom he will have eggs with, and I am afraid that it is not you."

"Nonsense, Steelbolt! He is just...overwhelmed. Guards, help Orion reach his quarters in my palace. I want him to get settled in before mating season starts."

With that, two guards swam in and gripped Orion by the elbow and escorted him out of his papas home.

 

oOoOoOoOoOo

 

Ultra sat in the garden, waiting for Orion to return to him and beginning to fear for the worst when several joors had passed. He had passed the time discussing his surprise for Orion with Hoist and beaming plans back and forth between datapads. Soon the details were finalized and Ultra had convinced Hoist to hire extra workers and have construction finished in three sols.

Orion would be so surprised and pleased, he just knew it!

Deciding to check on the garden while he waited, Ultra moved along the garden paths and admired how beautiful the garden looked. Orion truly had a gift with growing crystals. Ultra broke off a few clusters as he approached Primus' altar in the garden. Placing the crystals on top of the altar, Ultra knelt down and prayed, "Primus, let him come home to me. I love him so much."

The altar glowed brightly and Ultra had a vision of Orion, curled up and looking miserable in a small room. The vision shifted showing guards outside of the room and then changed again to show a lavish palace under the solvents. It could only belong to the king Orion had mentioned. When the vision ended, Ultra was enraged. So the mermech king had dared to steal his beloved Orion? Not for long!

Ultra asked Primus to help him as he freed Orion and brought him home to the Manor. Once more the altar glowed brightly and Ultra rejoiced in Primus' blessing. When the light faded, it revealed that Ultra had received more than just Primus' blessing. He had also been given a mermech tail that was the same deep blue of his armor with silver and black accents.

Ultra waited a moment to see if Primus was finished or not and then began to drag himself over to the solvent pool. By the time he got there, Ultra had a new respect for Orion for dragging himself over the entire garden as well as doing all the repairs and clearing the statues and such. Ultra pulled himself over the edge and dropped into the solvents.

Ultra took a moment to orientate himself, then dived down to the cave below where he had last seen Orion disappear. It took Ultra a breem or two to figure out how to swim with his new tail properly but eventually figured it out.

With that Ultra cautiously swam out into the solvent sea, unsure of where the mermech King's palace was. All Ultra could see was large fronds of crystal growths and the fine seaweed crystals. Ultra decided to follow the cliff the cave was in and hope to run into someone who could give him directions.

Ultra had swam about half an joor along the cliff walls when he heard a sound from up ahead. He swam closer and saw an odd pair of mechs. They appeared to be twin mechs but unlike mermechs who had turbofish like tails, these two mechs had thick tentacles like a mecho-octopus from the waist down.

"Excuse me could you help me? I am looking for the mermech King's palace."

The two mechs optics narrowed and the spoke at the same time, "We have no desire to go near the King's palace. Go away."

"Please, I need to go there! The King has stolen something from me and I will get him back."

The twin mechs exchanged another look, "So the old King is up to his old tricks again then. Let me guess he stole your egg-carrier? He tried to steal our lovely Kup once but we managed to get him back. Now we leave one of us with him at all times, especially this close to the season's start. If you want to free your mech head west through the wild lands until you reach the drop off then follow the drop off, it will lead you to the King."

Ultra memorized the directions quickly, "Thank you for your help."

Ultra began to swim away and saw a third mech who was identical to the first two swim up with a teal mermech with a gruff look who was set upon by the first two mechs with many kisses and pettings. There was no accounting for some mechs' tastes.

Ultra followed the directions the tentacled mechs had given him and before long came to what could only be the drop off. The ground gave way to a deep and apparently bottomless abyss.  He swam along the drop off following it right up against a cliff where there were several sets of caves, three of which had woven hangings covering the entrances.

He was swimming past the caves when he heard the sound of someone sobbing as he passed one covered cave opening. He paused as he passed and was slammed into when a mermech came rushing out. "Are you alright?"

The mermech looked up at him, still visibly upset, "As alright as one can be when the King has..has s-stolen my sparkling."

Ultra looked horrified, "The king stole your sparkling? How terrible!"

Another mermech swam out of the cave, "Steelbolt, come back inside. I'm sure we'll think of a way to get the King to release Orion."

Orion? It couldn't be, could it?

"Are..are you two Orion's papas?"

The two mermechs looked at him suspiciously, "And if we are?"

Ultra looked between the two, "I don't know how much Orion was able to tell you, but I'm Ultra and I am in love with your sparkling."

The two mermechs stared at Ultra, "So you are the mech that our sparkling claims was brought to him by Primus?"

"I am that mech yes. I also know we were brought together by Primus, and that Primus himself sent visions of your sparkling to me as a way to guide me to him."

Both mermechs gave him hard looks, "If you ever hurt our sparkling, no one will find your shell. Just so you know where you stand with us."

Ultra gave the two of them a knowing smile, "I would expect nothing less. Orion is too precious to ever hurt. Could you direct me to the palace where Orion has been taken? I intend in get him back as soon as possible."

A look of hope took hold in the two mermech's optics, "The King's palace is just past the end of the cliffs and through the crystal spire forest. He most likely has Orion being held in his harem wing. Please, hurry!"

Ultra dipped his helm in thanks and swam off again, following the cliffs until he came to a twisting series of jagged crystal spires that were crisscrossed and impenetrable that had a tunnel bored through them. Ultra followed the tunnel until it opened up and ended in a large cavern.

There in the center of the cavern was a massive palace that would rival the Magnus Manor in size, set in the shape of a squared off figure eight with two large courtyards in the centers. Ultra swam to the side of the cavern and observed the many mermechs who were swimming through and around the palace.

Ultra soon had a rough idea of the palace's layout, with the front half of the figure eight being open to the public while the back half was much more secured and therefore the best candidate for being where Orion was.

Ultra carefully swam along the cavern walls until he had a clear view over the back half of the palace. As he watched, he saw many mermechs and femmes with ornate ornaments decorating their forms. ‘They must be members of the Kings's harem’, thought Ultra as he sought any sign of Orion. Finally, Ultra spotted a set of doors with guards posted on it and none of the ornamented mermechs or femmes went near it.

Ultra began to ease himself down towards the palace taking care not to be seen by any of the guards as he cautiously swam into the back courtyard in a dark corner and eased around in the shadows. Finally he reached the room where Orion must be held and waited for the right moment to strike, which came sooner than expected as a mermech with a large basket approached from the side Ultra was hidden on. It took a mere nanosec to knock out the mermech and seize his basket, which was filled with techno-clams as Ultra had supposed.

Ultra swam around the corner with the basket and headed toward the guarded door. As Ultra drew closer the guards moved aside and opened the doors so Ultra could swim in. As soon as the doors closed behind Ultra, he looked to the corner where a small form was curled up under some metal meshes. "Orion? Are you okay?"

The form under the meshes shifted, "U-ultra? Is that...No. I'm just dreaming again. You're not real."

Ultra felt his spark ache at that, his poor Orion. What had this brute of a King done to him in the short time he had had him?  He set down the basket and swam closer to where Orion lay,"Orion, it is me. I am here for you, I am here to take you home to the Manor. Can you swim or are you hurt?"

The metal meshes fell to the floor as the small form underneath sped over to Ultra and buried itself in his arms, "Oh Ultra! I missed you so much! I thought I'd nev- You have a tail! Oh Ultra! You look so handsome!"

Ultra smiled and drew back a bit to cast his optics over Orion's smaller frame and assess if  he had any injuries. What he saw enraged him. His precious Orion had been bedecked even more outrageously than the mermechs he had seen outside! Sinuous bracelets curled over his upper arms while his lower arms had ornate cuffs. His lovely helmfins had been pierced and had teasing little metal tassels that brushed against the helmfin's bases. An ornate blue and silver belt clasped around his tiny waist and small bits of jeweled accents covered his broad chest. However, the worst insult had been done to Orion's tail: a thick cuff was fastened around the base of his tail where it fanned out into his fin which had had the indignity of having the fin tips pierced with large hoop bangles. "Oh Orion, what has he done to you! You poor thing, I'll have you fixed up as soon as we get out of here."

Ultra turned to the basket and began to empty the technoclams into a storage cube. Once the basket was empty, he had Orion curl up inside it and covered him with a metalmesh. Ultra picked up the basket and headed to the door. A light knock had the guards opening the door and Ultra swam out and began to head back around the corner. As Ultra swam around the corner, he swam right into a burly mermech guard who was escorting.... "Alpha Trion?!?"

Alpha Trion looked as shocked as Ultra as they stared at each other. "Ultra Magnus, how did you manage to get here? And with a tail no less!"

Ultra stared at Alpha, "I could ask the same of you, Alpha."

The burly guard Ultra had swam into growled and barked out, "Show respect mermech! You are speaking to King Beluga Longfin."

Ultra growled as several things came together in his mind, "You're the one who stole Orion from me! You dared to steal from your Magnus?!"

King Beluga gave a harsh laugh, "I stole nothing, /Magnus//. I caught him! He ran from me and I caught him! He is mine! Guard, seize the basket- I suspect there is a dainty morsel inside."

Before Ultra could move, the burly guard seized the basket and tipped it on its side causing Orion to drift out and down to the ground. Orion immediately tried to swim over to Ultra but was grabbed by the guard and held tightly. "Let Orion go! He is coming with me back to the Manor, Alpha whether you like or not. Try to stop us and I'll be forced to act."

King Beluga gave an ugly laugh, "You forget yourself, /Magnus//. I rule down here, not you! And that pretty piece of tail is going to be mine as well, especially as long as he wears his little cuff to keep his valve just for me."

Ultra's optics darted to Orion and noticed that the tail cuff did indeed cover his little mermech's valve. Ultra saw red and summoned the Magnus Hammer to his servo. "Surrender now, Alpha! Let us go and give me the key to Orion's cuff and we can end this. Resist and I will destroy you!"

Alpha gave another dark laugh, and summoned a large trident to his servo, "He is mine! Leave my sea /Magnus// and go find some slut of a truckbot to sate your lusts. Orion is mine now!"

Ultra roared with rage and charged at Alpha, the hammer crackling with charge and swung at Alpha's helm only to blocked by Alpha's trident. The force of the blow drove Ultra back a bit and Alpha charged, attempting to impale Ultra with his trident only to have the trident diverted by the hammer. Ultra used the hammer to force the trident low and then charged at Alpha once more with the hammer crackling as it charged to full strength. As he swung the blow at Alpha's helm once more, Alpha raised the trident and struck at the hammer as it swung down at him. The resulting surge of power flung the hammer and the trident far from their owners across the courtyard.

Ultra watched as the hammer flew from his grasp, then turned back to Alpha in time to take a fist to the face. Wincing at the blow Ultra delivered a one-two combo of punches to Alpha's chassis only for Alpha to slap him hard across the faceplates with his powerful tail. Ultra drifted a bit stunned from the blow and Alpha seized the opportunity to deliver several punches to Ultra's face.

Ultra recovered from the tail slap and flung himself at Alpha, tackling him to the ground and pinning him there. Ultra began to punch over and over again at Alpha's helm, armor cracking and splintering in the face of his rage until suddenly luminescent cables emerged from the ground and separated the two. A second set of cables drew Orion to Ultra then went to Alpha and dipped into his subspace before dropping a key at Ultra's fins.

"No! Primus, please I want him!" Alpha complained, "Please let me have him! Even just for this season! Please?"

One of Primus' cables slapped Alpha's face and then slapped his aft twice sharply. Ultra cuddled Orion to him as the cables glowed as they caressed Orion's fins and the piercings disappeared and healed completely. Ultra bent down, scooped up the key, and unlocked the tail cuff before tucking both key and cuff into his subspace. "Thank you, Lord Primus, for restoring Orion to me and healing his tail. We shall leave you whatever gift you like upon your altar, simply show us what you desire. Ultra had a sudden vision of several statues being installed into the Primus temple. Very....detailed statues of Primus and the vision then shifted to several priests .... oh. "It will be as you wish Lord Primus, though you should be the one to instruct the Priests in the statues purpose."

"It's not fair, Primus! Why does he get to have his mate but I do not!?" A cable softly stroked over Alpha's helm, then pointed to where an image was forming in the water. The image showed a ship at one of the docks of Cybertron and several med-berths were being wheeled off the ship towards waiting medics. One med-berth held a small blue buggy mech. "B-beachcomber has been found? Y-you brought him back to me? Thank you Primus! Thank you."

Ultra seized the opportunity to scoop up Orion and swam away from the palace. He headed through the tunnel that led them back to the large cliffs and Ultra headed to Orion's papas' home. Ultra released Orion just outside the woven hanging in the entrance and Orion swam inside quickly, Ultra following behind him. Orion's papa cried out when they saw him, "Sparkling! You're safe, oh thank Primus! We were so worried for you and so afraid we'd never see you again!"

When they saw Ultra behind Orion, they swept him to a hug as well, “You must stay and eat with us! You saved him! You saved our precious sparkling!” In celebration of Orion's rescue, Powerdrive broke out some rare special treats: spicy crystalweed, techno-crab claws, lithium lobster and a few choice bits of a cyber-shark.

By the time supper was over, Powerdrive and Steelbolt insisted they stay the darkcycle. Too many dangers in the dark to swim anywhere safely. Orion slept in his old room and Ultra had a berth made up on the couch. The next sol Orion and Ultra began to swim to the cave that led to their garden and the Manor, only to stop in the wilds when two of the identical trio of mechs ran into them and offered them congratulations and a warning, "You would do well to get your egg-carrier somewhere safe, mating season will start in a sol or two at most."

Ultra thanked them for the warning and then Orion and him resumed their swim home. Soon Ultra and Orion were surfacing in the solvent pool within their garden. As soon as Ultra reached the surface, he began to get ping after ping from messages and com requests he had missed. One, from Hoist, was marked as urgent. 'Ultra, began work on your new addition. You forgot to mention it was mostly refurbishing work. We finished way ahead of schedule. Let me know how you like it.'

Ultra was quite puzzled by the mentioning of refurbishing, having no idea what Hoist was speaking of. However he was very pleased that Orion’s gift was ready so soon. Ultra looked at Orion, "I have a surprise waiting for you in the manor, sweetspark."

Ultra had barely finished speaking when there was a rumble below them and part of the pool's wall crumbled, revealing a sealed hatch. Orion curiously swam closer and the hatch opened on it’s on, exposing an illuminated tunnel. Before Ultra could stop him, Orion was swimming into the tunnel. As soon as Ultra followed Orion in, the hatch closed behind him leaving no option but following where the tunnel led. Fortunately the tunnel finally came to an end leaving Ultra and Orion looking at another hatch. Ultra carefully opened the hatch and found himself falling down a short slide into a solvent pool. He was surpised to see that he had landed inside of Orion’s surprise. Hearing another splash behind him and then a clang as the hatch closed revealed Orion had joined him in the solvent pool. Ultra turned to Orion and drew him close, "I'm not sure how we got here, but I hope you like your surprise Orion."

"My surprise?" Orion asked and Ultra waved a servo to take in the room, gesturing to indicate it was all for him.

"I had this room changed just for you, and it seems Primus added to my idea with the tunnel. You have this main solvent pool, with the nice little area over there for us to enjoy.” He gestured to a lovely grotto under a solvent-fall. “There is also a small tunnel leading to a large tank I had set up in the main receiving area. The tank was supposed to go to the science labs but I made a deal with Perceptor regarding the observatory. So you have a huge tank to enjoy when we have mechs over to entertain so you can enjoy the festivities too."

Orion gave Ultra a happy smile and swam to him to give him a large kiss. "You also have a smaller solvent pool with heated solvents. But most importantly, do you see the small room at the far end of this one? I made sure that room was extra secure, and had a special pool put in for you to lay our eggs in. Do you like your surprise, Orion?"

Orion gazed up at him with adoration in his optics, "Oh Ultra! It's far too much! Thank you! It's perfect! And you even made a safe place for our eggs! Thank you!"

Then Orion got a wicked look in his optics, and drew flush with Ultra in the solvents. Orion twined his tail around Ultra's and began to rub them together. "Ultra, I bet you'd fit now."

Ultra's optics darkened with lust and he pressed his tail against Orion's demandingly until Orion eagerly gave in. With a soft snick, Orion's valve exposed itself and Ultra allowed his spike to pressurize into it making Orion yelp. Every little movement of Ultra's tail dragged his spike along Orion's valve and made them both moan in pleasure. Ultra began to carefully move over to the beautiful grotto without moving Orion off his spike and soon they were settled comfortably together. Far too soon for Ultra's liking, he found himself overloading and Orion wiggled against him showing that Ultra was still quite pressurized. Orion looked up at Ultra with darkening optics, "This is going to be fun, Ultra!"

 

oOoOoOoOoOo

 

The last two decacycles were a pleasure filled blur to Ultra, but at last the driving need had dwindled to a end. Ultra swam to the edge of the solvent pool and pulled himself out. He looked at his tail and tried to figure out how to explain this to Red Alert when as soon as he thought about it, he felt his tail transform back into his legs. Relieved that at least one issue was resolved, Ultra turned to where Orion was still recharging in the grotto of the solvent pool.

Walking over, Ultra pulled Orion onto his lap and rubbed over the slightly bulging bump where their eggs were kept safe and sound. Orion slowly woke up and smiled at Ultra, then groaned and wrapped his arm around himself. Realizing what must be happening, Ultra stood up and rushed Orion to the pool in the secure room. Gently wading into the warm solvent pool, Ultra sat down with Orion in his arms, "It'll be okay Orion, I'm right here. You're going to be just fine."

Three joors later, Orion went limp in his lap completely exhausted from laying his eggs in the pool. Now all twelve eggs lay nestled together on the soft sandy floor, safe and protected. Ultra carefully slid out of the pool with Orion and set him beside the pool to recharge. As Ultra watched over Orion and their eggs, he felt the happiest he had in a long time and he knew what he had to do.

 

oOoOoOoOoOo

 

Ultra had wasted no time in preparing for this sol, and as he carried Orion down the roads in his truckbot form he knew that this was exactly what they needed to do. When they reached Primus' Temple, Ultra waved the priest away and headed to the sealed door that led to the inner sanctum of Primus. Descending down the stairs, Ultra set Orion down on the altar. "Primus, you brought Orion to me and now we wish to join together as sparkmates. Please let us be able to bond fully."

The altar glowed brilliantly, and bonding marks in Primus blue blossomed across their servos and sparkplates. Once they had received their Primus marks, Ultra carried Orion to the niche in the wall padded with metal meshes. Setting him down, Ultra climbed on top of Orion and pressed kisses to his sparkplates. "Open up for me, my spark. We need to join our sparks to complete the bond."

Orion looked up at Ultra trustingly, and two snicks were heard as sparkplates parted and so did Orion's valve cover. Ultra moaned and allowed his spike free, causing Orion to get a worried look on his face. "Relax Orion, it will fit. You are much roomier in this form."

Ultra lined his spike up and slowly eased into Orion's valve until he was fully seated, then parted his sparkplates and lowered his spark onto Orion's. They both moaned as the feeling of merging sparks overwhelmed them. There was a moment of pain that made Orion cry and Ultra wince as a portion of each of their sparks broke off and fused with the others. Once the fusion was complete the resulting feedback forced both into overload.

When they awoke, Ultra looked down at Orion and froze. There were two tiny swirls of energy on Orion's spark that looked suspiciously like sparklings at the very earliest stages. A thought sent to Primus received confirmation. Twins.

Ultra kissed Orion awake and carried him back upstairs. By now, word had spread that he had descended to the inner sanctum with another mech and the newbots would be swarming. Once he stepped out he knew he was right, as dozens of flashes went off and dozens of mech tried to shove a recording device at him. That was when Orion began to glow Primus blue and when the light faded he was in his mermech form again. Everybot froze and stared at the mermech. The Ultra adjusted his hold on Orion and said, "Excuse us, we have a bonding to celebrate and fourteen sparklings to prepare for."

With that Ultra folded down and Orion was transferred into his special trailer he had had modded to his alt form. Then they took off back to the Magnus Manor, where they and their many, many, many, sparklings lived happily all their sols.

 

oOoOoOoOoOo

 

Deep in the solvent sea, King Beluga Longfin was impatiently awaiting his medics to return with their diagnosis of his beloved Beachcomber. Beluga had managed to rescue him from the medical facility he had been sent to, and brought him home where he belonged.

Everytime Beluga thought about what those damned Quintessions had done to his beloved bondmate he was filled with rage. The paperwork from the rescue ship had painted a bleak and horrific picture. His mate had been found in a Quintession lab, where he and the other poor wretches had been used to test chemicals and medical solutions. Beachcomber was in desperate need of repairs to his armor and his wiring was a mess. The real issue though was Beachcomber's spark had been damaged, badly enough it had disrupted their bond.

King Beluga looked up as his chief physician entered and gave him a datapad. "King Beluga, we have been able to repair your honored consorts' frame to its peak health. However, I regret to inform you King Beluga that your bondmate's spark is still damaged and we have discovered that he is addicted to multiple drugs at very high levels."

King Beluga shuttered his optics at the very idea of Beachcomber being an addict. "Leave me."

Once the medic was gone, Beluga swam to his beloved's side and curled beside his berth. Beachcomber stared blankly at the ceiling with a vacant stare and Beluga felt his spark beak at seeing his formerly vivacious mate in this state. Beluga decided he had one last hope, and carefully picked up Beachcomber and swam with him to their private altar. Setting Beahcomber on the altar, Beluga prayed to Primus that he would heal his beloved's spark and rid him of his addictions.

The altar glowed bright blue and Beluga gasped as he could feel the bond slam back into place.

When the light faded Beachcomber looked around in a panic and leapt into Beluga's arms. "I-I never thought I'd see you again! Oh, Beluga! I was so scared! And those horrible Quints! Oh Beluga, I never want to see one again. I never even want to go on the surface again!"

Beluga hugged his beloved mate to him closely and whispered soft reassurances to him as he carried Beachcomber back to their suite. They had much time to make up for and many good memories to make to erase the bad ones.

King Beluga Longfin had regained his lost consort and all was well under the solvent sea.

 

oOoOoOoOoOo

**EPILOGUE**

 

Far away on the otherside of the planet Cybertron things were not going as smoothly. Winglord Starscream and Lord High Protector Megatron were awaiting the hatching of their first clutch of eggs.

Winglord Starscream had been in a snit ever since the Magnus and his mermech mate had announced their impending fourteen sparklings. Furious about being out-done even in this, Starscream had made several comments about how /his// clutch would have several femmes and how is was so sad that mermechs seemed to rarely have femmes.

Finally the day arrived and the eggs began to crack and splinter heralding their hatching. Starscream was still smug he had laid nine eggs, a perfect triple trine. The first egg gave a shudder and then split in half and a tiny femme seekerling squeaked as she looked around shyly. Megatron made a worried sound, he knew as well as Starscream they would have to guard their submissive daughter well especially around the former Decepticons. To Starscream's dismay the next two eggs also produced submissive femmes. When the fourth egg hatched Starscream made a moan of dismay at at a spaceshipbot femme. She at least was properly aggressive and Megatron chuckled as she clawed at the one feeding her. The next two eggs produced two large spaceship mechs, both who bore a strong resemblance to Megatron. But even starscream was aghast when the final three eggs hatched to reveal three triple-changer femmes. All three seemed to have Seeker alts for one form and tanks for the other. How in Primus' name had that happened?

Having so many femmes at least made up for the bizarre mixture of frametypes in one clutch and Starscream's pride was soothed.

Or at it was until the Magnus announced that their odd turbofish-like eggs had hatched, producing nine beautiful crystal femme mermechs and three crystal mech mermechs, with three of the femmes being submissive. That insult was compounded when Consort Orion's twin sparklings emerged as lovely truckbot mechs with dainty crystalline cyberfly wings.

Starscream refused to speak to Orion after that, even after the little mechs were found to be very submissive little princess mechs. The rift between the two consort grew larger when it became apparent that Consort Orion was responsible for a population boom all on his own having with Ultra Magnus more than sixty sparklings.

Despite the ruffled plating of the Winglord all was well for Cybertron and Primus was pleased his plans had worked so well. With that he turned his attention back to his temples where his new statues were being...broken in by his priests.

 

The End

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to Delle, Flo, Blk and P for reading over this. All mistakes are mine.


End file.
